The schedule was supposed to provide the perfect remedy for the Bulls after blowout losses to Orlando and Cleveland.

But Minnesota did them no favors, winning consecutive games for the first time all season by racing past the lackluster Bulls on Saturday at the United Center.

Defense has been a problem for Chicago all year, but the offense is suddenly sputtering as well. The Bulls shot below 40 percent against both Cleveland and Minnesota.

Against the Timberwolves, both teams started the game slowly, missing a combined 14 shots and keeping the score 0-0 for the first 4 1/2 minutes.

But a second-quarter slump really hurt. Trailing 21-19 after a Larry Hughes jumper, the Bulls went scoreless for more than five minutes and fell behind by 13 points.

The Minnesota Timberwolves celebrated their first winning streak of the season -- at the Chicago Bulls' expense. Randy Foye scored 21 points, Al Jefferson added 18 points and 14 rebounds and the Minnesota won consecutive games for the first time this season, beating Chicago 102-92 on Saturday night. "It took us to wait until we got to the New Year to get it," Jefferson said.

The Cleveland Cavaliers weren't about to follow one big loss with another one. Anderson Varejao scored a career-high 26 points -- the majority of them off passes from LeBron James -- and James had a triple-double as the Cavaliers stayed unbeaten on their floor with a 117-92 win Friday night over the Chicago Bulls after learning center Zydrunas Ilgauskas will miss a month with a fractured bone in...

The way he's pouring in the points, Rashard Lewis just might shoot his way into the All-Star game. Lewis set the tone by scoring 16 of his 21 points in the first half and the Orlando Magic rolled over the Chicago Bulls 113-94 for their eighth win in nine games. "Especially in the first half, I felt like I wasn't going to miss a shot," Lewis said.

Derrick Rose doesn't remember what he was doing on April 17, 2001. "I was in grammar school, probably in the sixth grade," Rose said after leading the Chicago Bulls to their first victory in New Jersey since that date, 100-87 over the Nets on Monday night. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 draft had 21 points and a season-high 13 assists, while Ben Gordon scored 24 points.

After holding 14 of their last 15 opponents under 100 points, the Atlanta Hawks expected a low-scoring game against Chicago. When that plan failed, the Hawks seemed to enjoy a rare opportunity to change their style. Joe Johnson scored a season-high 41 points, Josh Smith also set a season high with 24, and the Hawks withstood Ben Gordon's 3-point barrage to beat the Bulls 129-117 on Saturday night.

Michael Beasley pulled a shirt over his head, which was the only way he could obstruct the postgame grin splashed across his face. "I'm extra happy right now," Beasley said. And it was for a lot of reasons -- most notably the way the Miami Heat clamped down on the Chicago Bulls. Dwyane Wade scored 28 points, Daequan Cook hit three big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter as Miami pulled away, and the...

The Lakers have been waiting more than six months for another shot at the Boston Celtics. Now that they'll get it, they might not like it. The Celtics, winners of a franchise-record 19 straight games and off to the best two-loss start in NBA history, visit Staples Center on Thursday for a Christmas Day matchup with the Lakers.

The Detroit Pistons traded Chauncey Billups because they believed Rodney Stuckey was ready to become a big contributor. On this night, he showed they were right. Stuckey scored a career-high 40 points Tuesday to help the Pistons overcome an injury to Allen Iverson in a 104-98 victory over the Chicago Bulls.